POOLE star Lucy Wicks and Great Britain’s volleyball women quickly turned their attentions to tomorrow’s crunch date with the Dominican Republic after being whitewashed by Italy yesterday.

The World Cup winners were too experienced for their hosts who, at number 69 in the world, are the lowest-ranked side in the competition by 53 places.

The pre-match hopes of those inside Earls Court had been raised by a post-midnight win over Algeria on Monday – Britain’s first-ever in Games competition – and an opening-set nailbiter which just went Italy’s way massaged them even more.

But coach Audrey Cooper realised yesterday’s clash was a game which would likely go against them. Of greater focus is the fact that a victory against the Dominican Republic would either gain them or put them on the brink of a previously unthinkable quarter-final berth.

“You’re always looking for something out of a match and today it was a performance. But come Friday, we are going for the Republic. We have been scouting them for the last year. It’s going to be a massive match,” Cooper said last night.

“Dominican will be feeling it, they are without a win so far and we will be going for them. We then probably need to get something out of the Japan game.”

Great Britain, meanwhile, have been offered a chance to qualify for the World Championships and are currently planning how they will fund flying the players back from their overseas clubs, of which Wicks plays in Germany.